Elastic-fluid turbine.



PATBNTBD Nov. 28, 1905.

S. ELLIOTT. ELASTIC FLUID 'IURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1904.

Wzass I IIN ITED sTnES PATENT oPPIoE.

ELAsfrlo-'FLU'ID TURINE.

. Specification of Letters Patent. i i

Patented Nov. 2s, 1905.

Application filed May 26, 1904. Serial N0. 209,927. l

To (LN/whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I WILLIAM S. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain ,new and useful Improvements in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, o-f which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this trolled by a single valve.

specilication, in which- Figure 1 is a partial end view ofan elastic-i fluid turbine provided with4 my improved fluid turbine, so as to maintain uniform speed under varying loads, by means of a series of nozzle-valves and their controlling mechanism, in combination with means vfor automatically controlling the admission of fluid to the vanes in a varying volume supplemental or in addition to the volume passing through said one or more nozzle-valves. For this purpose I employ a governor-controlled valve operating in conformity with varying engine speeds, in combination with the nozzle-valves, so designed thatit will supplement the admission throughv any one of said nozzle-valves and regulate the flow intermediate lof any two such adjacent valves, thus maintaining the engine in equilibrium and delicately regulating the supply at-all times in conformity with the varying loads. a l

The governor-controlled valve is fully described and conforms to subject-matter of a companion v application, (1),) filed April 8th, 1904, bearing the Serial No. 202,160.

Referring now to the drawings, 2 is the shell or case of the turbine,4 surrounding the wheel 3i, mounted on thetusual shaft 4 and provided with the customary vanes 5.

6 is an elastic-fluid chamber having a supply connection 7 extending out beyond thev engine at lany suitable position, as indicated in Fig. 1, by which elastic fluid is supplied to the various valve-controlled nozzles leading to the vanes of the turbine wheel'or wheels. At intervals located in the interior of chamthrough a vstuffing-box.

ber 6 are a number'of valve-seated nozzles 8, leading to the van'es 5, each of said nozzle- Y seats being provided with avalve 9, mounted on the inner end of stem 10, passing out Each stem 10 is provided with a piston 11, mounted in a cylinder 12,'an interposed springl being provided surrounding the stem 10, adapted to bearl against the piston, so as to unseat the valve when pressure. is relieved from the piston.

Means are provided by which pressure is applied to one or more of the pistons 11, as follows: Mounted in a suitable positionis a cylinder 14, to which constant Huid-pressure is supplied by connection 15, while pipes 16 connect each of the cylinders 12 with the interior of thecylinder 14 and are' adapted to supply constant pressure against such of the pistons 11 to which said constant pressure is maintained.

17 is a valve mounted in cylinder 14 onthe end of a stem 18, projecting into -'a supplemental cylinder 19 o f a diameter or area greater than cylinder 14v and'provided witha let ends of such `innerports 21 are uncovered by piston-valve 17. Communicating with such inlet-ports 21 either by a diagonal groove orby other suitable passage, are terminal ports 22, so located that when the inlet-ports 21 are covered by the advancing pistonvalve 17 the ports 22 or the other end of the groove willbecome uncovered. By this construction the exhaust from the cylinder 12 is vdelivered behind the piston-valve 17 and escapes through an exhaust-pipe connected With the cylinder. I

Beyond the piston 20 the cylinder 19 is provided with an inlet port 23, controlled yby valve 24, andan outlet-port 25,.,controlled by valve 26, mounted on'the ends of stems 27 and 28, respectively. These stems 'are pivotally connected 'to the outer` extremities of yoke 29, which is mounted at itscenter upon ment to allow free movement of the yoke.

IOO

The pins 30 are connected with or form a part of the vertically-movable portion of a cen- IIO ion-spring 32 is inserted between valve 24, by which it` is normally held in closed position to shutoff the supply of fluid to the cylinder 14, while a similar spring 33 is inserted above valve 26 and adapted to normally close port to cut off the exhaust therefrom.

The constant fluid-pressure acting on piston I 17 and also on the piston 11 of the nozzlevalve stems may be supplied from the same source which supplies the turbine, and preferably at the same pressure.

The valve-regulating mechanism just described forms the subject-matter of a separate application bearing the Serial No. 196, 195. In a companion application bearing the Serial No. 193,556 I have shown and described a different mechanism for regulating the admission of uid to the nozzle-valves through the operation of a cam-bar adapted to actuate the valve-levers actuated by pistons subject to variable pressure. This construction may also be employed to control the nozzlevalves of the present invention.

The present invention is designed to provide means for supplying a varying volume of fluid to the vanes independent of any supplemental to the uniform volumes supplied through the nozzle-valves, so as to regulate the fluid-supply for variations in the load between any two consecutive nozzle-valves. To

this end 1 have employed a governor-controlled valve admitting a pulsating supply similar in construction and operation to the controlling-valve shown and described in companion application bearing the Serial N o. 202,160.

An independent valve-seated nozzle 38 (or for multiple or stage expansion engines two or more of such nozzles 38) is located in any convenient position as to'one side of the fluidactuated nozzle 8, having a faced seat for a valve 39, mounted thereon at the inner end of a stem 40, passing out through astufing-box. The stem 40 isnormally held outwardly by compression-spring 41, tending to give full opening to nozzle 38 through the valve. The stem`40 is connected at 42 with arm 43, pivoted or otherwise suitably mounted at any convenient point and so arranged that its terminal or any other suitable bearing portion is held in contact with the reduced portion of cam 44, thereby allowing the valve to open. This cam 44 is slidingly mounted on shaft 45 by means of a spline or other suitable sliding connection and is adapted to be thrown backwardly and forwardly-along shaft 45 in conformity with the varying speed of the governor A.

The weights of the governor are connected as will be readily understood and by reference to the above-cited application.

The cam 44 is adapted to act upon lever 43 and is provided with a variably-actuating raised portion adapted to cut off the supply during a portion of each cam revolution or to entirely close or open the valves within the limits of the capacity of the nozzle which it controls.

For the purpose of utilizing the movement of the sleeve 46 either upwardly or downwardly upon an increase or reduction from the normal speed (before the piston 20 and valve 17 become operative) the valves 26 and 24 are elongated, as shown in Fig. 2, and cxtend somewhat beyond ports 25 and 23. The valves 26 and 24 are thus inoperative as to releasing or admitting Huid through ports 25 and 23 until such elongated portions have passed the edge of the ports. During such time the cam 44 is shifted to the right or left and will impart to valve 39 suiiicient movement to entirely close or open it before the governing mechanism will act upon the main nozzle-valve 9. It will thus be seen that the pulsating nozzle 38, controlled by valve 39, compensates for changes of load between any two adjacent pressure-actuated nozzles.

While the application of the invention may be made to a single-stage engine, it is obvious that the same uniform regulation may be applied to two or more stages or engines of the multiple-expansion type, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, by suitable valve-rod extension and uid connections.

By means of the automatic regulation through nozzle 8 and of the supplemental intermittent regulation through nozzle 28 the speed of the engine is thus maintained constant and its equilibrium established.

It is obvious that various other constructions or arrangements of the valves may be used to control the admission of Huid to the turbine-varies, and in Fig. 3 I have shown a plurality of nozzles 8, controlled by a single valve 9', opening into a common chamber, which supplies the fluid directly to a greater number of nozzles by one valve, and it is obvious that the admission-nozzles may be designed and their number varied within the provincel of the designing engineer to suit varying conditions or requirements of work. Thus the number of nozzles supplied from one valve, whether pressure or pulsating, should increase from one stage to the next successively in order to accommodate the increased volume due to expansion. All such changes and variations are within the province of the designing engineer or skilled mechanic and are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims.

1. The combination with an elastic-Huid turbine, of a series of nozzles adapted to admit IOO lIO

fluid successively, and a pulsating nozzleof the engine.

valve with-means for controlling the supply of said nozzles in conformity with the speed 2. The combination with an'elastic-uid turbine of a seriesof valves, `pistons connected therewith, a supply.. of elastic fluid therefor,

with means for controlling the supply there-` of; and asupplemental pulsatingnozzle-valve adapted to admit a variable volume of fluid to the vanes. r

8. The combination with anvelastic-fluid turbine, of a series ofv Anozzle-valves adapted to admitfiuid'to the nozzles successively withv means for actuating saidvalves, a valve adapted to admit a variable volume, a graduated cam adapted to impart movement to said valve, and means for varying the-operative position of the cam according to the load of the engine. f 4. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with a series of nozzle-valves adapted to admit uniform volumes of elastic fluid to the vanes, of a fluid supply controlling valve` adapted tol admit a variable volume to the vanes, a graduated cam adapted to impart movement to said valve, and means for varying the operative position of thecam according to the load on the engine.

5,.y In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with a series of nozzle-valves :adapted to admit uniform volumes of elastic fluidto the vanes, ofa fluid supply controlling valve, adapted to admit a variable lvolume to the vanes, a graduated cam adapted to impart movement to said valve, algovernor, and means connecting the governor with the cam whereby it is shifted in conformity with variationsin the load of the engine.

6. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a series of nozzle-valves adapted to admit fluid successively,'a series of pistons con-v nected therewith, a pressure-supplygovern ingdevice, a governorl connected with the pressure supply governing device, a nozzle controlled by'a pulsating valve, a graduated -cam adapted to impart movement to said valve,

and means connecting the governor with the cam. l p 1 7 An elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a series of nozzle-Valves adapted `to admit liuid successively, aseriesof spring-retracted pistons connected therewith, a cylinder prov vided with pressure-supply connections between the piston-chambers and the pressuresupply cylinder, a piston-valve mounted in the pressure-cylinder, actuating means therefor controlled by variations in the speed of the turbine, a valve, and a graduated 'actuating-cam therefor also controlled by variation in the speed of the turbine.

8. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a series of nozzles adapted toadmit uid successively, and a nozzle having an intermittent flow.

9. In an elastic-fluid turblne, aseries of nonpulsating vnOzzie-valvesadapted to admit ,fluid successively in combination with a pulsating nozzle-valve. Y. v Y Y 4 10. In an elastic-fluid turbine, adapted to eX- pand the fluid bystages, a'series of nozzles' for each sta`ge,nozzlevalves therefor provid`d with pistons, and pressure connections between the pistons of successive stage-nozzles whereby the fluid-supply to the different stages-is controlled simultaneously, and means independent of the pressure connections for retracting the pistons. i

11. In an elastic-Huid turbine, adaptedto eX- for each stage, nozzle-valves therefor provided with pistons, and pressure connections between the pistons of successive stage-nozzles whereby the fluid supply to vthe different stages is controlled simultaneously and automatically in combination withy stage-nozzles having an intermittent How.

12. vAn elastic-iiud turbine adapted to eX- pand the Huid by stages, nozzle-valves for each stage, Huid-actuated operating devices therefor, and pressure connections communicating with saiddevices throughout the different stages and with a` source of pressure, with means controlling the supply therethrough in conformity with the speed ofthe engine.

13. An elastic-fluid turbine adapted to expand the Huid in stages and provided with successively-increasing numbers of nozzles for each succeeding stage, nozzle-valves therefor, fluid actuated operating devices for said valves, and pressure connections communicating with said devices throughout the different stages and with a source of pressure.

14. An elastic-Huid turbine provided with a 4pand' the fluid b'y stages, a series of nozzles plurality of single series vanes, separate cylinders therefor within the walls of which cylinders the single series vanes rotate and Wherelby the fluid is expanded in stages, successivelyincreasing numbers of nozzlesadapted to deliver the fluid thereto in proportion to the increasing volume of steam due to expansion,

chambers communicating with said nozzles, controlling-valves therefor, Huid-actuated operating devices for the valves, and pressure connections communicating with said'devices throughout the different stages and with a source of pressure.

15. An elastic-fluid turbine provided with a plurality of single series vanes adapted to eX- pand the Huid by stages, and provided with a I successively-increasing number of nozzles for each succeedlng stage and supply-chambers communicating With'said serles of nozzles,

with governor-controlled nozzle-valves adapted tol admit the iuid to the nozzles in proportion to the load, and duid-actuating operating devices therefor,with connections communleating therewith throughout the different stages and with a source of pressure.

16. An elastic-Huid turbine provided with a series of constant-volume nozzles and nozzle- Valves therefor, in combination with a nozzle provided with a pulsating valve adapted to admit fluid periodically.

17. An elastic-fluid turbine provided with a series of constant-volume nozzles and nozzlevalves therefor, in combination with a nozzle and a pulsating valvev adapted to admit iiuid periodically, the capacity of said valve being sufiicient to compensate for variations in the capacity of any two loads between the nozzles.

18. An elastic-Huid turbine provided with a series of .successively-supplied constant-flow nozzles in combination with an intermittentlysupplied nozzle, adapted to compensate for variations in the load between the capacity of any two constant nozzles.

19. An elastic-iiuid turbine provided with a VVLLLIAM S. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

JAS. J. MCAFEE, C. M. CLARKE. 

